Dr T has pulled the trigger

[brian green]

I find it reassuring that at long last we can act quickly and decisively.  It shows that the basics at the club are sound.  Since the flouncing of MON and all that went with it, I have felt like an unwilling passenger in an aircraft that flew in a series of nose dives and tail spins.  Until now there has always been the feeling that so weak and incompetent was the running of the club that any attempt to pull out of a nose dive would make wings fall off.

[Lobsterboy]

Sad that we have got rid of a manager after only 12 games but not sad to see RDM go

On paper he looked a good choice with experience of getting teams promotion from The Championship but in reality didn't seem to have any idea what his best formation or team was - we've been going backwards since the Forest game and are in danger of ending up in another relegation battle so for me he simply had to go.

Here's hoping the next appointment works out slightly better and has a vague idea what this football management malarkey is all about...

[dave shelley]

After all the previous managerial changes, I always looked forward with a degree of excitement to the next appointment.  I can't do that this time, too many false dawns.

I'm not sorry to see RDM go.  I had my doubts during the debacle against Luton.  It looked as though he hadn't a clue as to how to rectify things, but worse for me was the fact (unproven) that it looked like he couldn't give a fuck.

[mr underhill]

I agree; it was the way in which he shimmied around home and away dugouts, whipping up apathy that pissed me off the most.

[darren woolley]

He just had to go he didn't inspire me let alone the team.

[remy]

I'm hearing conflicting reports that some fans wanted to give him more time - I ask ya!

Lets recap:

Owls - last minute howler
Hatters - Disgrace
Millers - A win !!!!
Hudders - clanger again
Derby - wasteful
Bristol - capitulation
Forest - wasteful
Brentford - howler
Tractors - wasteful
Barcodes - poor
Barnsley - howler
Preston - disgraceful

Team chopping and changing formation, tactics, personnel, no settled side.

Jedinak absolutely hopeless, a real let down. Westwood continuing to be picked despite the groans from the fans.

Elphick / Chester partnership made of jelly.

Hutton still at the club.

Adomah, Ayew, Gestede, Kodija, McCormak the five that could fire us 2-3 goals every game.

This squad needs shot of the remenants of the wastrels from last season, at least 2 more midfielders and another centre half.

Bring on Jan 1st if we can survive that long.

[joe_c]

What nobody seems to have said (though I may be wrong) but what amfy said to me after the game was that the players looked as if they had stopped playing for the manager and I think she's right. The manager himself having the air of someone who had wandered into The Last Chance Saloon having absent mindedly forgotten his wallet.

[PeterWithesShin]

It was the most damning thing for me and why I would have sacked him. We literally didn't look bothered the last half hour, no urgency on or off the pitch, no one seemed bothered we were losing or making any effort to get back into the game. We strolled around like it was some meaningless friendly.

[CT Villan]

What nobody seems to have said (though I may be wrong) but what amfy said to me after the game was that the players looked as if they had stopped playing for the manager and I think she's right. The manager himself having the air of someone who had wandered into The Last Chance Saloon having absent mindedly forgotten his wallet.

Which makes this tweet all the more bemusing...

   

Not long told by source close to club, 'many players bemused/disappointed' with Di Matteo sacking + 'felt progression was being made' #AVFC

    — Callum Williams (@CalWilliamsComm) October 3, 2016

[Risso]

It was the most damning thing for me and why I would have sacked him. We literally didn't look bothered the last half hour, no urgency on or off the pitch, no one seemed bothered we were losing or making any effort to get back into the game. We strolled around like it was some meaningless friendly.

I mentioned it at the time, but after their second goal, Di Matteo went and sat down for the rest of the half. He should have been bawling them out, but he was slumped in his chair. Think he probably knew then that the game was up, and the second half brain fart team set up was him saying "ah, fuck it."

[villadelph]

What nobody seems to have said (though I may be wrong) but what amfy said to me after the game was that the players looked as if they had stopped playing for the manager and I think she's right. The manager himself having the air of someone who had wandered into The Last Chance Saloon having absent mindedly forgotten his wallet.

Which makes this tweet all the more bemusing...

   

Not long told by source close to club, 'many players bemused/disappointed' with Di Matteo sacking + 'felt progression was being made' #AVFC

    — Callum Williams (@CalWilliamsComm) October 3, 2016

Saw that this morning too.

It made me so angry. It's the players who are responsible for producing the result. They have no drive, no urgency and in no way took responsibility for their poor play. We need people who are going to take the initiative to force the ball in the back of the net. Ayew seems to be the only one who takes the bull by the horns, the "fine, I'll do it myself" attitude. Everyone else just kind of takes it as it comes in hopes it will all just work out fine.

We need a manager with some gumption and a good blow dryer.

[KevinGage]

What nobody seems to have said (though I may be wrong) but what amfy said to me after the game was that the players looked as if they had stopped playing for the manager and I think she's right. The manager himself having the air of someone who had wandered into The Last Chance Saloon having absent mindedly forgotten his wallet.

Di Matteo picked a team set up to ensure the sack.

The players generously helped him.

[footyskillz]

The buck stops with the manager and his coaching staff. The target is promotion and to play each game like a final to make it to the ultimate goal. It's not being achieved so like many managers he gets the can. When players also take responsibility they will reach the potential.  Di matteo not stern with players and not enthused I think. His reputation has been tarnished and that serves him right as he didjt get enough from the players and by all accounts didnt show it on the sidelines when things were going against us. Have the squad now just need the manager to inspire the squad

[mr underhill]

agree skillz

[KevinGage]

I'm hearing conflicting reports that some fans wanted to give him more time - I ask ya!

Lets recap:

Owls - last minute howler
Hatters - Disgrace
Millers - A win !!!!
Hudders - clanger again
Derby - wasteful
Bristol - capitulation
Forest - wasteful
Brentford - howler
Tractors - wasteful
Barcodes - poor
Barnsley - howler
Preston - disgraceful

Team chopping and changing formation, tactics, personnel, no settled side.

Jedinak absolutely hopeless, a real let down. Westwood continuing to be picked despite the groans from the fans.

Elphick / Chester partnership made of jelly.

Hutton still at the club.

Adomah, Ayew, Gestede, Kodija, McCormak the five that could fire us 2-3 goals every game.

This squad needs shot of the remenants of the wastrels from last season, at least 2 more midfielders and another centre half.

Bring on Jan 1st if we can survive that long.

All that might be valid, but I'd say that -more than most of our recent roll call of rogues- he is one manager who could spin it to say he has been harshly treated.

That second half against Wednesday deserved at least a goal.  Get that and it's a different game. You can set a team up to be resolute (and we were, for much of that game) but there is not much you can do when your keeper shanks it.

Rotherham -Keeper and centre half conspire to rob us on the win that would have seen us win two on the bounce. Again, tactics weren't really at fault for that, or the amount of chances we missed to kill the game.

Forest - should have won by four or five

Brentford -dire. But we hold out in that game (and for all their possession, Brentford created next to nothing) and we're talking about the type of win that could set us up for the season. Playing averagely, but still doing enough. We fluff it, and then Di Matteo flaps it.

Newcastle - woeful 60 minutes, but came off thinking we had the supposed best team in the league there for the taking.

Barnsley-  similar to Bentford. We win this one and any talk of the sack gets parked. Gollini flaps it again. 


Holding out in half of those games -or the rookie keeper doesn't have monumental brainfarts- and our season has a different complexion.

Di Matteo signed that rookie goalkeeper, of course. And we were getting worse, that cannot be disputed. But after the Forest game,  I genuinely didn't think we'd be here again discussing new managers little short of a month later.